Elizabeth Smith Friedman: The Woman Who Put Cryptography on the Map

Today's podcast is brought to you by Ferguson Home. Whether you're a homeowner working on a remodel or a pro managing multiple projects, Ferguson Home is where great ideas become stunning spaces. My wife and I know firsthand because Ferguson Home was by our side when we built our beautiful house. All of our indoor and outdoor kitchen appliances, most of our kitchen and bathroom hardware came from Ferguson Home. They have the best selection of kitchen, bath, and lighting products, all of which you can find online or you can visit a local Ferguson Home showroom like we did and get one-on-one support from their amazing consultants who are there for us with their expert advice and support. They'll be there for you too.

Go to FergusonHome.com to shop the latest styles from top brands like Kohler or find a showroom location near you. Hi, I'm Matt. And I'm Leah, and we're from the Grown Up Stuff Podcast. And just in time for tax season, on this week's episode, we're chatting with CPA Lisa Green Lewis about how small businesses can tackle their taxes using TurboTax Business. A Forbes study mentioned that a whopping 93% of small businesses overpay their taxes. And 17% of Gen Zers believed that you could write off any expense as a business expense. So... Can't blame them. It's really important to do your taxes right.

Listen to Grown Up Stuff on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. At Lowe's, our members get more. With the My Lowe's Rewards programs, you can shop member-only deals for your home and business every week. Plus, members earn points on eligible purchases.

So what are you waiting for? Join for free today. Lowe's. We help.

You save. Loyalty program subject to terms and conditions. Details at Lowes.com slash terms. Subject to change. Free standard shipping not available in Alaska and Hawaii.

Exclusions and more terms apply. Clean water access helps kids soak up childhood. Girls can be in class instead of walking hours for water. Kids can be climbing trees and skinning knees instead of being sick with waterborne diseases.

Sponsor a child at WorldVision.org slash Water for Kids and help ensure access to life-changing essentials like clean water. This is Lee Habib and this is Our American Stories, the show where America is the star and the American people. Up next, a story from Hillsdale College. One of their students telling it about Hillsdale's greatest cryptologist.

And Hillsdale has been a proud sponsor of this show from when it started way back in 2016. Let's get into the story. Hello there. My name is Lindsay Larkin.

I'm a student from Hillsdale College. And today I am really excited to share the story of a woman who cracked enemy codes during both world wars, exposed Nazi spy rings in South America, and helped dismantle organized crime networks during prohibition. Her name? Elizabeth Smith Friedman.

Elizabeth Smith Friedman was born in 1892 in a small town in Indiana. She is the youngest of nine children. From an early age, she has a passion for literature and languages. After earning an English degree from Hillsdale College, she longs for a path beyond the conventional expectations placed on women at the time. And as fate would have it, an extraordinary opportunity came her way.

In 1916, she responds to a newspaper advertisement from George Fabian, an eccentric millionaire with an unusual interest. He hopes to prove that Sir Francis Bacon was the true author of Shakespeare's plays. This leads Elizabeth to Riverbank Laboratories, one of the first institutions in the US dedicated to cryptography. Though the Shakespearean theory was highly questionable at best, the cryptographic work at Riverbank was genuine. There, Elizabeth meets William Friedman, a fellow codebreaker who would become both her professional partner and husband. Together, they lay the foundation for modern cryptanalysis. When World War I erupts, the US government turns to Riverbank Laboratories for assistance in breaking enemy codes. Elizabeth begins to analyze intercepted messages and develops techniques to decrypt complex ciphers used by German spies. In addition to this, she helps train military intelligence officers in cryptanalysis, laying the foundation for the army's cryptographic efforts. Elizabeth and William play a critical role in the war's efforts. While William later joined the army, Elizabeth's expertise is soon called upon in a different but equally vital battle, one taking place much closer to home.

During Prohibition, criminal organizations had begun to rely on secret codes to coordinate their illegal liquor trade. The US government needed someone capable of breaking these encrypted messages, and Elizabeth was the ideal candidate. Working with the Coast Guard, she meticulously decodes communications that eventually lead to the disruption of major smuggling operations. Not only does Elizabeth work behind the scenes, but she also takes the stand in court, presenting her findings with remarkable clarity and confidence, even while facing notoriously dangerous criminals. Yet, despite these pivotal contributions, she often goes unrecognized. Even during World War II, Elizabeth leads a team for the US Coast Guard's Intelligence Unit, cracking the secret codes of Nazi spy rings operating in South America. Using painstaking linguistic and mathematical analysis, she decrypts thousands of encoded messages, exposing entire espionage networks that were feeding intelligence to the Axis powers. Her work not only helped dismantle these networks, but also ensured that vital wartime communications remained secure. Despite Elizabeth's incredible contributions, public recognition often went to others, particularly J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI.

But history is clear. Elizabeth's work was instrumental in these victories. After the war, Elizabeth chooses to live a much quieter life. She spends her remaining years with William until his passing in 1969. Elizabeth Smith Friedman passes away in 1980, with much of her work still classified until 2008. It was only in later years that her immense contributions received the recognition they deserved. Today, her legacy endures, not just in cryptology, but in the countless women in STEM who now look to her as a role model.

Her techniques continue to influence intelligence agencies, and her story serves as a testament to the power of intellect and perseverance. Elizabeth Smith Friedman was far more than just a code breaker. She was a pioneer, a patriot, and a woman who profoundly impacted American history.

And a terrific job on the production, editing, and storytelling by our own Monty Montgomery, himself a Hillsdale grad. And a special thanks to Lindsay Larkin, a Hillsdale College student, with this terrific story on Elizabeth Smith Friedman. And what a pioneer she was, indeed, a pioneer, a patriot, and a woman who profoundly impacted American history. And unlike Rosie the Riveters, and we've told lots of stories about those women who impacted American history.

Here was one in the area of STEM, a cryptologist, doing things like busting organized crime networks, and then Nazi networks. And a special thanks to Constituting America for sending us this wonderful story to learn about the terrific work they do, this education nonprofit that educates and inspires students across the country on the relevance of the Constitution and the principles of self-governance. A terrific organization. Go to constitutingamerica.org.

That's constitutingamerica.org. The story of Elizabeth Smith Friedman here on Our American Stories. Lee Habib here, host of Our American Stories. Every day on this show, we bring you stories of America, stories of us. And it's because of listeners like you that we're able to tell the story of this great and beautiful country every day.

Our stories will always be free to listen to, but they're not free to make. If you love what you hear, consider making a tax-deductible donation to Our American Stories. Visit OurAmericanStories.com to give. Give a little, give a lot, any amount helps.

Go to OurAmericanStories.com. Ever wake up feeling lousy, knowing something is off with your body? You don't have time for guesswork. You need Viome. Forget all the generic health fads. Viome doesn't tell you what you want to hear. It tells you what's actually going on inside your body. By analyzing your gut microbiome, Viome delivers a custom health plan that's as unique as your DNA. It's science, not nonsense. Want energy? What better digestion?

Viome has your back. Stop trusting amateurs. Go to Viome.com for a personalized gut professional now. Call Star Star Gut to get $110 off any test.

That's Star Star 488 to receive a link to the offer. Clean water access helps kids soak up childhood. Girls can be in class instead of walking hours for water. Kids can be climbing trees and skinning knees instead of being sick with waterborne diseases.

Sponsor a child at worldvision.org slash water for kids and help ensure access to life-changing essentials like clean water. Staying healthy can be hard, but with Premier Protein, every day can feel like a party. High protein, one gram of sugar, and available in ready-to-drink protein shakes and great tasting powders. Premier Protein can be your convenient snack for on-the-go moments to make the most out of every day. With flavors ranging from chocolate to cinnamon roll to cookies and cream, Premier Protein has a flavor for every vibe. Enjoy the benefits of delicious nutrition anytime, anywhere.

Premier Protein, sweeten the journey. With the best all-inclusive vacation deals to Mexico and the Caribbean, booking your getaway with cheap Caribbean vacations means you have more freedom to do your deal. Whether you want to enjoy snorkeling, endless margaritas, and more, or simply soak up the sun and sand in a tropical paradise, cheap Caribbean vacations has your deal for that. Plan and book the exact getaway you want at exactly the right price for you by using our exclusive budget beach finder or find a featured all-inclusive package to Ryu Negril and do your deal at cheapcaribbean.com.